Meanings
nounlithology (countable and uncountable, plural lithologies)
plural lithologies
- uncountableThe study of rocks, with particular emphasis on their description and classification.
- countableThe general composition of a rock or rock sequence.
The ‘monomict’ meteorites are samples of a single lithology while the polymict meteorites are those containing two or more lithologies.
1983, Jeremy S. Delaney et al., “The Nomenclature of Polymict Basaltic Achondrites”, in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, volume 18, number 2, →DOI
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe branch of geology that studies rocks: their origin and formation and mineral composition and classification
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 岩石学
- 岩石学 (yánshíxué)the study of rocks
Czech litologie
- litologiethe study of rocks
Finnish litologia
- litologiathe study of rocks
French lithologie
- lithologiethe study of rocks
Hindi आश्मिकी
- आश्मिकी (āśmikī)the study of rocks
Irish liteolaíocht
- liteolaíochtthe study of rocks
Italian litologia
- litologiathe study of rocks
Spanish litología
- litologíathe study of rocks
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lithology
technologypsychologybiologymethodologyecologypathologypharmacologytheologyastrologygeologyanthropologyarchaeologymythologyradiologytopologyanthologynanotechnologyideologyneurologycardiologydermatologymorphologyontologyapology
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
lithology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lithology
MLA
“lithology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lithology. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lithology,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lithology.
Source: lithology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.